Basics Archives - Lauren Kretzer

About
Blog
Work With Me
Praise & Press
Shop
Contact

Menu

About
Blog
Work With Me
Praise & Press
Shop
Contact

Search for:

Basics

Get my exclusive FREE guide to weeknight cooking (without recipes!)

You'll also get my newsletter with wholesome vegan recipes, wellness tips, and more!

Privacy Policy.

Meditations on Cooking

Basics

Meditations on Cooking

MEDITATIONS ON COOKING If September is synonymous

BACK TO SCHOOL DINNERS (Spicy Vegan Sheet Pan Ques

SCRAMBLED CHICKPEAS WITH KALE AND RED ONION ☀️

HOW TO TRAVEL ANYWHERE AS A VEGAN ✈️ After w

HOW TO TRAVEL ANYWHERE AS A VEGAN ✈️

After what seems like an eternity, it finally feels (sort of?) safe to travel again. I know that for the vegan-curious, the idea of staying plant based while on vacation can seem daunting. I’ve been vegan now for 8 years and can assure you, it can be done! Here are my best tips ✔️:

STAY IN A RENTAL 🏡. When I have my own kitchen through an @airbnb or @vrbo rental, I am guaranteed the ability to eat. Usually my family eats breakfast at “home”, since that is the one meal I find hardest to navigate while traveling.

DO YOUR RESEARCH 🧐. Before leaving, Google “vegan guide to (fill in destination)”. You’ll find online guides detailing the veg-friendly spots in your destination. I also check Happy Cow & Yelp for veg-friendly restaurants, look up menus to local eateries and keep a list of dining possibilities in my phone.

GO INTERNATIONAL 🍜. It’s easier for vegans to eat well at ethnic eateries. Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, and Italian are my go-tos because they do plant based so much better than American style places.

SPEAK UP 🗣. You’re NOT being a nuisance if you ask your waiter to to swap the sausage in your pasta for white beans, or to request that the chef put together a vegan plate for you. I ask for modifications ALL THE TIME with zero guilt. So many people needlessly carry insecurities about this - don’t hesitate for a millisecond to ask for what you need. 💁🏻‍♀️

STOCK UP 🍞🍎🥑 on some basics at a local supermarket. Fresh fruit (especially apples and bananas, since they’re portable and don’t need refrigeration), a loaf of whole grain bread, peanut butter, hummus, avocados, instant oatmeal, and baby carrots all can fit in a small hotel fridge and can be mixed and matched to form different light meals/snacks in the unlikely event that you strike out at a restaurant.

LOOSEN THE REIGNS 🌴. It’s vacation, after all. If your meal ends up being a Beyond Burger with fries, or a huge bowl of pasta, that’s OK! Just squeeze in fruits and veggies whenever you have the chance, stay active and have fun…Whole Foods will be there when you get home. 😉
#vegantravel #vegantraveltips #plantbasedtravel #wanderlust

HI! I’m Lauren - welcome to my little corner of

HI! I’m Lauren - welcome to my little corner of the ‘gram! 👋

If you’re new here, I’m a professionally trained vegan chef, recipe developer, and holistic health coach. I am here to help demystify the vegan way of life, provide delicious, satisfying and healthy plant-based recipes, and showcase the incredible healing powers of plants. 🥑 🫐 I write recipes not only for my readers/audience, but for veg-superstars like @crazysexykris @theguthealthmd and many others! It’s my dream job and I feel beyond lucky to do this work.

I’m also passionate about slowing down and leading a simpler, more intentional life rooted in holistic health, mindfulness and a connection with our natural world. 🍂💆🏻‍♀️

After a harrowing health crisis that began in late 2019, I re-evaluated my diet and lifestyle and got back to basics in order to heal. My protocol? Overdosing on whole plant foods, meditation, and long walks in the woods (plus a few great doctors along the way 🙏🏻).

A bit more about me: I’m a mom of two little girls 💗 and live with my family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 in Northern NJ (my home state!), surrounded by forests and farms. I’m happiest and most at peace in nature, and my sacred connection with the earth inspires much of my approach to food (and life, in general!). 🌲 ⛰

I love books (with a particular fondness for cookbooks 😉), cozy sweaters, strong coffee, spicy food, quiet mornings, travel, and, most of all, being with my family and cooking for them. ☕️ 📚 ✈️ 🍝

I’m so glad you’re here 🌿 Let me know how I can serve you in the comments below 👇🏻 - what kind of content do you like to see? 🤔
#aboutme #veganchef #veganrecipes #recipedeveloper #holistichealthcoach #njchef

WHY BERRIES 🫐 🍓 ARE THE POWERHOUSE FRUIT YOU

WHY BERRIES 🫐 🍓 ARE THE POWERHOUSE FRUIT YOU SHOULD BE EATING DAILY

Berries are in season right now, and if you’re not yet in the know about the healing powers of plant foods, get a load of these little powerhouses!

Dark berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, acai berries, cherries, cranberries, etc.) are not only a rich source of Vitamin C and fiber, but they’re incredibly high in antioxidants. In fact, they’ve got 10x the antioxidants of other fruits and vegetables (second only to herbs and spices), and more than 50x the antioxidants of animal products.

Antioxidants have an anti-inflammatory effect on our body and are essential in protecting our cells from free radicals (higher levels of which are associated with cancer and heart disease) and preventing DNA damage.

Because of the particularly protective antioxidants found in berries, these fruits are linked to better immunity, less cognitive decline, lower cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, and are protective against many cancers (such as breast, skin, esophageal, lung, bladder, and colon cancers).

All you need is a 1/2 cup a day of fresh berries to reap the many benefits. Choose organic when you can, but any berry you eat is good for you! I grab huge bags of frozen organic berries at Costco to enjoy them year round in smoothies, oatmeal, banana berry nice cream, muffins, compotes, galettes/pies, scones, atop salads, and just on their own, as a snack or light breakfast. #berrypower #superfoods #antioxidants #cancerprevention #heartdiseaseprevention #hownottodie #darkberries #worldshealthiestfoods #dailydozen

COOKING INTUITIVELY 🍅 🥘 It’s 5 PM. You’

COOKING INTUITIVELY 🍅 🥘
It’s 5 PM. You’re about to start dinner after a very long, busy day. As much as you’ve tried to meal plan in the past, it didn’t happen this week. You want to make something healthy and filling, but you’re not about to start flipping through cookbooks. You’ve got to make do with what you have.

As much as I love a good recipe (and write them for a living), sometimes they can feel so limiting. I often find myself in the exact situation above, and when I do, I really lean heavily on intuitive cooking.

I’ll admit - it’s a learned skill, but something anyone can acquire once they spend enough time in the kitchen. There are no fancy techniques involved - just some basic cooking knowledge and a sense for which ingredients go well together.

I had all the basic ingredients for ratatouille (thanks to a trip to the farmer’s market yesterday!) but knew it wouldn’t be substantial enough on its own. But, it was a good starting point so I roasted the garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers in the oven. While they cooked, I boiled some chickpea pasta, tore up some garden basil, and chopped a palmful of green olives that I needed to use up. I also had a container of vegan pesto from @traderjoes that I knew would go nicely with everything. Oh, and a jar of @raoshomemade marinara.

Once the veggies were done roasting and the pasta cooked, I tossed it all together. It was the perfect summer dinner! Everyone was happy, bellies full, and pretty healthy, to boot.
#intuitivecooking #norecipe #ratatouille #summerpasta #noreciperecipe #chickpeapasta #feedfeedvegan #f52grams

🧄 WHY YOU NEED MORE GARLIC IN YOUR LIFE 🧄

🧄 WHY YOU NEED MORE GARLIC IN YOUR LIFE 🧄

I have a feeling that telling you to eat more garlic won’t be a hard sell, and that’s a good thing, because it’s incredibly good for you!

Aside from making everything it touches taste infinitely better, did you know that garlic is among the vegetables with the most cancer-fighting power 💪🏻 ? It can also protect against radiation ☢️ damage!

Garlic also has potent anti viral and anti microbial properties that are super effective in fighting colds 🤧 , the flu and other respiratory infections. Feel the sniffles coming on? Finely mince 2-3 cloves of garlic and put it on top of toasted bread drizzled with olive oil (or a bit of smashed avocado). Raw garlic is best for this!

Garlic can help with lowering blood pressure and decreasing cholesterol, which, in turn, can prevent heart disease ♥️ Garlic also contains antioxidants that may reduce our risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia 🧠 .

The garlic pictured above was grown by yours truly - my husband does most of the gardening around here, but I was entirely responsible for planting, growing and harvesting our garlic crop this year! 👩🏻‍🌾 Excited to enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.
#garlic #homegrown #garliclovers #allium #gardenharvest #ingredientspotlight #veganchef #jerseyfresh

SIGN UP & GET MY EXCLUSIVE FREE DOWNLOAD

Weeknight Cooking (Without Recipes!)

You’ll also get my newsletter with vegan recipes, health tips, and more!

Privacy Policy.

© 2021 Lauren Kretzer. All Rights Reserved. Design & Development by

Ansley Fones. Logo & Branding by

Joanna Todaro. Portraits by John Duarte. Privacy Policy.